Music will run on two stages, with Central New York bands sharing stage 2 with national acts. CNY acts include The DeLinquents, led by guitarist Michael DeLaney, of July 8, Baldwinsville guitarist Mike Roberts, band of veterans 2 Kool 4 Skool, and guitar star Mark Doyle on July 9; and Onondaga Nation band Corn-Bred, and the all-star collection Soul of Syracuse on July 10. Funky Blu Roots, out of Owasco, open the stage 1 action on July 8.

Jose Alvarez, former guitarist for Los Blancos and the band of the late Roosevelt Dean before moving from Syracuse back to his native Mexico City, returns for a stage 2 homcoming on July 9.

"Ronnie Earl, he never leaves Boston," Fitzsimmons said this morning. "We got him because of Jose (Alvarez). Jose is his protege, and has been since he was a kid. We thought it would be be nice to have Jose sit in with him."

Also high on Fitzsimmons' list is New York City-based teenage guitarist Mojo Myles Mancuso, who's considered the youngest working band leader in the Big Apple.

"I'm really excited about providing exposure for people I think are really good that people haven't heard about yet," Fitzsimmons said. "That's really the focus of what we're needing to accomplish."

Fitzsimmons said he's still fundraising for the event. He said about $20,000 has been promised, and he'd like to raise another $40,000 by June 1.

He said he hopes that the announcement of the lineup will help fundraising.

"I felt that announcing the lineup, it would help convince the people we are on, and moving forward," Fitzsimmons said. "It's a tough boat. Having skipped a year, it's tough to convince people the fest is on."

The Soul of Syracuse all-star band will play several fundraisers for the festival. The first is May at 6 p.m. May 14 at Paper Mill Island in Baldwinsville. The band will include Pete McMahon, Phil Petroff, Carolyn Kelly, Skip Murphy, George Rossi, Mark Hoffmann, Lenny Milano, Mike Schoeffter and possibly Jerry Neely. The band is produced by Fitzsimmons, and he'll also play guitar on several songs.